


Don't Laugh at Me

by BoydTheReaver



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gelotophobia, Hugging, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks, Phobias
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 16:06:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12214206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoydTheReaver/pseuds/BoydTheReaver
Summary: Akira Kurusu has an unusual - but extremely severe - phobia that ends up being brutally exploited in Madarame's Palace. At that very moment, Ryuji never thought it was possible to hate a group of magical paintings more than he already did.~Kink Meme Commission: "Akira has a secret phobia - it's easy enough to avoid so it's not something that's normally triggered, but when it is, oh boy. It's pretty severe; crying, panicking, hyperventilating... anybody with a pretty bad phobia should know what I mean.unfortunately, at one point in a palace this phobia is set off bigtime. How do the PT react to see their usually cool and composed leader reduced to an absolute wreck all of a sudden?Bonus if it's before Akechi and Haru join the team. Preferably somewhere in Madarame palace."





	Don't Laugh at Me

**Author's Note:**

> Since I wanna appeal to y'all yaoi fans out there, I'm making this kink meme commission 110% Akira/Ryuji fluff. Please enjoy, and do forgive the instance I make myself look ridiculous! ('Cuz don't forget, I'm more of a yuri and hetero fan, kek)

Ryuji Sakamoto never thought he would reach the point of his life where he would want to burn a collection of paintings down to the fucking ground, but here he was.

Granted, it wasn’t really anybody’s fault that Akira ended up God-knows where he is now. Madarame, his fucked-up asshole self and him being all too aware – for whatever insidious reason – of Akira’s deepest, darkest fear is what got the group in the situation they were in now. _Apparently,_ the fuckhead managed to get some dirt on Akira – _his_ best friend – after Yusuke spilled the beans when he was still oblivious to the fact that his master was a giant dick, and –

…okay, maybe this whole thing _was_ Yusuke’s fault after all. Who the fuck knows.

The point is that they were close enough as it is to the treasure, having managed to get far enough in the World’s Most Demon-Infested Museum that Morgana could actively sense the treasure. But then they had to go through a hallway, much to Morgana’s surprise, since according to the furball, there wasn’t _supposed_ to be a hallway in place of whatever room there was. But it was a long hallway, all with shit-eating grins from people that looked eerily similar to the kind of shit Ryuji recalls from a Batman comic he read as a kid with _lots_ of Joker venom. Scared the shit outta him.

The party was unnerved at first but they kept pressing on, trying to be blissfully unaware of the fact that the _eyes were following them._

And then, halfway down the hallway, all hell broke loose.

The people in the paintings pointed and laughed at _Akira._

 _His_ Akira. His _friend._

Much to everybody’s surprise, Akira completely lost his shit.

At first, he just froze up. But one can tell that all the blood from his body sucked when everybody began laughing at him. Okay, not so bad, he’s just frozen in terror. That’s not where the story ends, oh no no no.

He _screams. Loud._ Far louder than he was necessarily, and then he began sobbing hysterically, which only broke Ryuji’s heart even further, if the screaming wasn’t enough. Almost as if on cue, the paintings began laughing _harder_ while pointing at Akira, almost as if mocking him for something he did wrong, which he _absolutely fucking didn’t._

At that point, Akira ran away. The cool, calm suave Phantom Thief just _ran,_ sobbing and screaming hysterically all the while.

Somewhere, sometime, down the line, here he was, Ryuji Sakamoto becoming temporary second-in-command while off to search for their leader.

God, once he gets to confront Shadow Madarame, he’s going to beat the fucker within an inch of it’s life.

“Skull, have you found Joker?!” Morgana ran up to Ryuji, with Ann and Yusuke in tow. “We’ve looked _everywhere_ for him, but we couldn’t find him! D-Do you think a Shadow got him?!”

 _“Don’t make that suggestion!”_ Ann cried angrily, before immediately backpedaling. “…s-sorry, but Joker can handle himself in a fight. Even in his panicked state, I have no doubt that – “

“Who says he’s unable to defend himself in his current state, Panther?” Yusuke shook his head grimly. “Wherever he may be, the least we can hope is that he didn’t get too far.”

The group as a collective whole sighed.

“Well, I’ve checked the bathroom,” Ryuji scratched his head before blushing. “Errr, the _men’s_ bathroom. I, uh, haven’t checked the women’s bathroom for courteous reasons and – “

 _“Stop.”_ Ann hissed for a moment, bad memories of that surprise shadow coming back. She sighed to herself before rubbing her temple.

“Just…” Ann sighed. “Just do it quickly, alright?”

“U-Ummm…” Ryuji stuttered, still red-faced. “R-Right. See you guys on the far side.”

“We wish you the best, Skull. May you find our leader post-haste!” Even in a moment of crisis, Yusuke was still as dramatic as ever.

By the time the party began to split up once more, Ryuji (very reluctantly) proceeded into the women’s bathroom. Without the bustle and panic from his fellow Phantom Thieves’ sucking up the oxygen in the room, he could much more clearly hear faint, broken sobs ring from the bathroom.

 _Masculine_ sobs.

 _“Akira,”_ Ryuji whispered to himself before motioning to the bathroom on the farthest stall. Taking a deep breath in anticipation, he nervously opened the door.

…

“A-Akira?”

Akira was a mess. His black hair was even messier than it usually was, and his mask fell right onto his lap. His cheeks were positively _drenched_ with tears, and from the looks of things, his normally-clean Phantom Thief outfit was as unfortunate casualty of snot and tears. Akira’s eyes were completely bloodshot, and he gently hiccupped, having been completely dried of his capability to cry at this point.

He apparently noticed Ryuji. He didn’t even raise his head as he spoke.

“What do _you_ want?” Akira sobbed gently. “Please, just _go away. That is an **order,** Skull.”_

“Dude, what the fu – “ Ryuji wanted to stomp into the dirt right about now. _“Hell no! Leave you like this?! Dude, what the absolute fuck is WRONG with you if you’re actually wanting me to effing leave you like this?!”_

“I said _go. Away,”_ Akira’s sobs quietly evolved into hisses, his voice hinting at betrayal. “If I can’t even keep a _straight fucking face around a bunch of paintings, THEN HOW THE EVER-LOVING_ FUCK _AM I GOING TO KEEP MY COMPOSURE WHEN WE COME DOWN TO THE GODDAMNED **LINE?!”**_

“Because you’re _still our leader, for God’s sake!”_ Ryuji cried, throwing his arms up. “We chose _you_ because God knows you can make a snap decision better than _I_ ever could! Who _cares_ whatever your fuckin’ Phobia is?! You’re still _Joker_ for Christ’s sake, and nothing will ever change that!”

Akira went silent for a long time.

Ryuji almost didn’t know how to respond for a while. Akira just… sat there. In complete and utter silence. Not a word, and even his breathing was incredibly muted. And given the way he just _sat_ there, motionless, Ryuji would be forgiven if he thought he went unconscious for a moment, but the fact that he stood up for a moment showed that he was well and truly in the world of the conscious.

And he looked _miserable._

 _“Please,”_ Akira choked on his sobs, feeling another crying-spell come over him. “C-Can you hold me?”

Ryuji was really put on the spot on that.

Wasn’t that, like, supposed to be for girls?

Ryuji nonetheless buried these thoughts to the ground, and opened his arms for his best friend – and, admittedly, his biggest crush. Akira wasted no time in collapsing into his best friend’s arms.

And he _wailed._

He began sobbing uncontrollably as Ryuji felt his leather Phantom Thief outfit get drenched in Akira’s tears. But the least he could do – as his best friend, and potentially even more – is let Akira continue crying within his arms. God knew that he needed it at this point, and Ryuji was more than happy to let Akira continue to vent as long as he needed too.

Eventually, minutes of uncontrolled crying passed, and Akira finally calmed down. From the way he sounded so dry, he seemed to be all cried out.

“T-Thank you, Ryuji…” Akira gently croaked.

“Hey, uh… anytime, man,” Ryuji coughed rather awkwardly. “Just know that I’m here for you. You’re one of us, dude.”

Akira let go. Blushing a bit, he went to the faucet.

“Fuck, I’m thirsty.”

Immediately turning on the sink faucet, he spent a good moment or two drinking all the water he can to accommodate for all those tears. After another minute in awkward silence, Akira stood up.

“Y’know, you could’ve always asked for a soft drink,” Ryuji smiled wryly. “Ya never know what cognitive water tastes like.”

“I guess…” Akira shrugged before falling silent. Very silent, and very solemn.

It really hurt Ryuji in the heart whenever he was so melancholic.

“I, uh…” Akira sighed. “I have acute Gelotophobia. Fear of being laughed at.”

Ryuji knew he shouldn’t ask why that is, but Akira ended up filling him in.

“When, uh…” Akira sighed. “…back in Elementary School, I had this crush on a kid my age. It was a he. I eventually garnered the courage to tell him I like-liked him, and… he thought that was stupid. He laughed at me.”

Akira began to tear up. “So did the next couple of students.”

Ryuji immediately felt like his heart’s been torn apart.

“Dude,” Ryuji shook his head. “Jesus. I’m sorry to hear that. Rejection sucks regardless of your orientation.”

“You can say that,” Akira snorted. “…but I’m feeling better. Thank you for helping me, Ryuji.”

“Dude…” Ryuji smiled gently, before nodding. “Any time, man. Let’s go find the others and see if we can’t find a detour around that hallway.”

“I like that plan,” Akira nodded, before blushing. “Just… promise me one thing.”

Ryuji frowned. “Anything, man.”

“Don’t…” Akira sighed grimly. “Don’t tell anybody about my phobia. If anybody asks, I was hit with a Fear ailment and you cured me. Alright?”

“Dude, even if you are afraid of being laughed at, that still doesn’t make you any less than the most badass person I’ve ever met.”

For the first time in what seemed like ages, Akira smiled gently at his friend. Ryuji smiled with him.

Akira almost didn’t notice given how fazed he was, but he realized sooner than later that he was holding hands with Ryuji while walking back to the group.

**Author's Note:**

> This is for you, Anon! Cheers!
> 
> ;)


End file.
